OneBlood is urging O- donors to come forward to help 18-year-old Gigi Felix, who is battling sickle cell disease and needs a bone marrow transplant. Gigi has had repeated blood transfusions, resulting in very rare blood due to the buildup of antibodies. Her brother is a perfect match, but doctors require 50 units of O- blood for the transplant.
Rare Blood Type Needed
Only individuals of African American or African ancestry with type O- blood can donate to help Gigi. OneBlood is putting out an all-call to the community, particularly the African American community, to donate and see if they are a match for Gigi. Statistically, only 1 in 1,000 individuals of African descent will be a blood match for Gigi.
Interested donors can visit oneblood.org/Gigi to make an appointment and find a OneBlood donor center or Big Red Bus blood drive. Donors who meet the criteria will have their blood type determined and tested to see if they are a match for Gigi. If they are not a match, their donation will still help another patient in need.
Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.
